"For your traditional Samhain dinning pleasure" Topic

Found this Celtic recipe online … Colcannon … served at this time of year in Ireland, Scotland, etc. Samhain is upon us … 🎃

Colcannon -

Possible the earliest reference to the dish comes from a 1735 publication when it was described as a Halloween supper in Dublin and was followed by apples and nuts. It would probably have been served with parsnip in the mash, as that is the tradition in counties Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford.

In the Colcannon recipe below, however, I have not added this vegetable.

Ingredients

3lbs (1.5kg) potatoes, floury variety
1lb (500g) cooked curly kale or savoy cabbage, finely shredded
2oz (25g) butter
½ pint milk (full fat) or single cream
6 scallions/spring onions, chopped.

Method:

Peel and boil the potatoes until very tender. Drain and mash them until they are smooth. Add scallions to the milk in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the milk and scallions to the potato mash and beat well until fluffy.

Mix in chopped cabbage (traditionally, this should have been boiled in water with a piece of bacon fat or a pig's trotter) and half the butter. Serve in individual bowls, making a well in the centre of each serving and dropping in a knob of butter.

Preparation: 15 mins. Cooking time: 20 mins.

The above quantity of Colcannon can be served as an accompanying vegetable (for 6-8) or as a main dish.

For the busy cook, the good news is that it can be cooked in advance and reheated in the oven at 180C, 350F, gas 4, for 20 mins.

That's the ticket Cabbage is the key.

Used to take the left over chopped up corned beef, cabbage, potatoes. Mash em up like a colcannon and fry them in the pan for brunch. The best thing you ever ate!

My wife, son and I love Colcannon. We often serve for St Patrick's Day. I never knew about Halloween though. I'll add for next year. I don't usually use green cabbage. Savoy or Kale in my opinion…heck this has me thinking to go out right now and get a Savoy to make tonight!

My father's parents raised six kids during the Depression.

G'mother was of Irish descent, though born in Pennsylvania.
G'father's mom was Irish, Dad was German.

Colcannon frequently appeared as the primary dish at
mealtimes.

Well I'm going to have to try it. Looks easy to make !

We always had this at Halloween when I was a kid. The fairies used to leave coins in the mash. You had to be careful not to swallow them!

Mayhaps you could finish the meal with the famous Australian Halloween dessert…
… boo meringues
;-)

😆